Sickle



Aug. 14, 1928. 1,680,824

G. K. THOMPSON SICKLE Filed Oct. 51, 1927 IN VEN TOR.

G. E j'fimayasaw G A T ORNEY Patented Aug. 14, 1928.

UNITED STATES GEORGE K. THOMPSON, O1 KAPLEWOOD, NEW JERSEY.

SICKLE.

Application ma mm :1, 1027. Serial m. 89,811.

This invention relates to a sickle having a curved holder member on which a plurality of razor blades may be mounted in an alinement corresponding to the curvature of said member, and in such manner that they can be readily replaced individually or collectively. The invention is more particularly concerned with an improved arrangement of this character, which is simple and inexpensive in operation. It consists in a holder provided with securing means by which a plurality of blades may be held in position, and said blades may be ordinary discards from safety razors.

The invention may be more fully understood from the following description, when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing in which certain modifica-" tions thereof are illustrated.

Referring to the drawing, Figure 1 is a side elevation of one modification of the improved device; Fig. 2 is an enlarged section thereof; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view of a modification of Figs. 1 and 2, and Fig. 4 is an enlarged section on line H of Fig. 3.

In the drawing, in which like characters of reference designate like parts throughout, the numeral 5 represents a curved holder member corresponding to the formation of an ordinary sickle. A handle 6 is provided for the holder 5 and is attached thereto in any customary manner. The holder. 5 may be composed of any suitable metal and comprises two parallel plates 7 and 8. These plates are oppositely positioned with respect to each other as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2. The plates 7 and 8 are provided with flanges 9- and 10, respectively, which overlap each other. The fiat portions of the plates 7 and 8 extend from the flanges 9 and 10 and terminate in abutting shoulders. A rectangular chamber 11 is thus provided between the plates for a purpose to be presently described. The plates 7 and 8 have portions 14 and 15 which extend from said shoulders, and the outer surface of these portions maassume a somewhat tapered surface whic terminates in a rather dull point. The inner surfaces of the portions 14 and 15 have flat opposing faces which lie closely adjacent each other.

Bolts 16 extend through apertures which are provided in the lates 7 and 8 throughout then len h, an these bolts may be provided with at heads which rest against the outer surfaces of one of the plates. The ends of said bolts are provided with nuts which rest against a like surface of the opposite plate. The bolts, in the present instance for the purpose of illustration are indicated as positioned near the flanged portions of the plates. These bolts serve when tightened to exert pressure on said have a series of any form or combination of- For safety razor blades attached thereto. instance, the reference characters 19 indicate Gem razor blades in position in the holder 5. The character 20 shows a Gillette razor blade in position, and the character 21 an Auto-Strep razor blade in position. The safety razor blades may be attached to the curved holder 5, end to end, to form a series, and thus provide a continuous curved cutting edge conforming to the shape of the holder 5. The chamber 13 provides sulficient space to permit the entrance of a razor blade having an enlarged side such for instance as the Gem razor blade, as more clearly indicated by the reference 19 in Fig. 2. In this figure, a razor blade of the same thickness throughout, sometimes called a wafer blade such as the Gillette blade, is shown in dotted lines and indicated by the character 20. The portions 14 and 15 are of such width that they permit a suflicient extension of the cutting edges of the mounted blades therefrom to allow the blades to operate efliciently in cutting grass and not to be distorted by bending in such operation.

To place the blades in position in the holder 5, the nuts on the bolts 16 are loosened to permit the plates 7 and 8 to be sufficiently separated to allow the insertion of the safety razor blades. After the blades are in position, the nuts are tightened and the plates are brought together to securely clamp the blades between them. When so clamped proper rigidity is provided for the blades to give them sufiicient stiffness and prevent them bending while in o eration.

In the modification shown in igs. 3 and 4 two parallel plates 22 and 22 are provided which are in the general form of a sickle. These plates have one of their edges beveled, and said plates form a holder to which a series of Gillette blades is afiixed. The series of blades may extend from near the tip of the holder to a point near its handle. A series of alined o enings 23 is provided throughout the lengt s of the plates of the holder, and these openings are located at definite intervals from each other to correspond to the intervals of the openings in the Gillette blades. The openings in the plates 22 and 22 of the holder are so located to permit sufficient extension of the cutting edges of the mounted blades therefrom. The extension of the mounted blades from the holder is such that a comparative] stiff and continuous cutting edge is efi'ecte The ends of the Gillette blades 20 may overlap each other, as indicated in Fig. 3. In such overlapped position the mounted blades reenforce each other and provide such rigidity that they will be practically unaffected by bending while in operation. The razor blades may be clamped between the plates 22 and 22' of the holder by means of a bolt 24, which extends through plates 22' and engages the opposite plate 22 in threaded relation as indicated in Fig. 4, or in any other suitable manner.

From the foregoing, it is thought that the construction, operation and many advantages of the herein described and delineated invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, without further description, and it will be understood that various chan es in the size, shape, proportion and minor etails of constructlon may be resorted to without departing from the spirit, or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention, as defined in the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

The combination of a sickle having a curved holder and a handle therefor, said holder comprising a pair of parallel plates provided with a series of openings 5 aced at definite intervals from each other, t e openings in each plate being alined with those of the opposite plate, a series of separate cutting instruments removably mounted between the plates of said curved holder, and means extending through said openings for clamping said cutting instruments to said holder to form a continuous cutting edge conforming to the curvature of the holder.

Intestimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification this 29th day of October 1927.

GEORGE K. THOMPSON. 

